.one on one heART

One on one sessions are so unique and so powerful. There’s so much we can evaluate, access and work on through individual time while the hands are busy creating.

This session specially was fenomenal! The boy, without hesitation, jumped right in the exploration of the colors using brushes and obviously, hands, as you can clearly see in the picture.

Not only learning milestones were in the game when this activity was planned, but also a lot of therapeutic art tools that encouraged the kid to try all the supplies that were being offered and enjoy the experience in full. Affirmation words are of a great value when guiding these sessions, since kids are often moved by the reactions they get from people around them. So I would frequently say things like “you are very creative, look at all these colors you added here using you hands”. At other moments I would point out specific parts of the painting to bring his attention to the cool reactions the different colors were having with the paper. D

During moments of resistance, which in this case were very little and only happened once the paint started to dry on his skin, I encouraged him to pick on it and start peeling it of to experience the feeling of it on his skin. Every time he felt valued by my words he showed contentment and excitement about engaging int that activity. Not only the fine motor skills and mathematics concepts, but also self-knowledge, trust, patience and courage to experience new things were very well worked on during this session.

Simple, but of outstanding importance activities like this offer immense emotional support during the first learning years and provide kids with experiences only art can provide.

- Natalia Thomaz